Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mrs. Lesko, for her participation in the Election Subcommittee hearing in Phoenix. Also, Madam Speaker, I want to thank you personally for your hard work in making sure that every person throughout this great Nation gets that opportunity to vote and for your work in furthering civil discussion and civil rights in your career. Madam Speaker, I do rise in opposition to the rule for H.R. 4 today. The Voting Rights Act is currently in place. The bill that we will be debating tomorrow is not a reauthorization of this important and historically bipartisan legislation that has prevented discrimination at the ballot box. It has only been since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that Democrats have decided to politicize the Voting Rights Act. This landmark decision left the vast majority of the Voting Rights Act in place. What it struck down was 40-year-old data and the formula used to determine which States were to be placed under the control of the Department of Justice, known as preclearance. The Supreme Court deemed this data and formula was no longer accurate nor relevant for our country's current climate. The 2013 opinion held that regardless of how to look at the record, no one can fairly say that it shows anything approaching the pervasive, flagrant, widespread, and rampant discrimination that faced Congress in 1965, and that clearly distinguished the covered jurisdictions from the rest of the Nation. So what does H.R. 4 do? It doubles down and would attempt to put every State and jurisdiction under preclearance. This is a bill to federalize elections, regardless of what my colleagues have said in this institution today. During last night's Rules Committee meeting, it became clear that the majority was unable to determine the number of States or jurisdictions that would be covered by this preclearance if H.R. 4 were to become law tomorrow. Apparently, we have to pass this bill before the American people can even find out if they would be subjected to it. This is a proposition that the majority knows is bad policy, and it is a nonstarter for myself, my colleagues in this Chamber, and those in the other body across this Capitol, the Supreme Court, too, but perhaps most importantly, the thousands of local election officials across the country who would be crippled if this bill were to ever become law. H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, is not a Voting Rights Act reauthorization bill. This is only about preclearance and the Democratic majority giving the Department of Justice control over all election activity. While it is not in my committee's jurisdiction in the House Administration Committee, our Subcommittee on Elections majority held seven field hearings and one listening session across the U.S., encompassing eight different States and over 13,000 miles of air travel. Even with this gargantuan effort, the Democrats were still unable to produce a single voter who wanted to vote and was unable to cast a ballot. This is a great thing. We ought to celebrate it. Credit should be given to the Voting Rights Act for helping to achieve this. The 2018 midterm election produced the highest voting turnout in four decades according to data from the Census Bureau, especially among minority voters. That, again, should be celebrated. Sections 2 and 3 of the Voting Rights Act that are currently in effect are continuing to safeguard the public from discrimination at the ballot box. Every eligible American who wants to vote in our country's elections should be able to cast a ballot. That is why we have the Voting Rights Act, a great example of a bipartisan solution that is working to help Americans today and protecting Americans from discrimination. Unfortunately, H.R. 4 is just a political attempt from the Democrats to give the Federal Government more control over how States run their elections. I have now seen four voting bills from the majority come to this floor. All of them have one common theme, and that is to federalize elections. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Brent Weakly and the Central A&M High School football team on their Class 1A State runner-up title. Last week they played a great game with the Lena-Winslow Panthers, but lost in the 1A State championship. This year was the team's first year since 2001 that the Raiders have made an appearance at the IHSA State championship game, and while they didn't bring home a win, they held their heads high following last Friday's game. A&M's quarterback, Connor Heaton, threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Connor has come a long way since I used to drop my kids off with him at the same babysitter in Taylorville a few short years ago. Receiver Jacob Paradee had 11 receptions, a tie for most all-time in a Class 1A championship game. His 157 receiving yards broke a 1A record that was set back in 2006. All said and done, A&M had its best season in 18 years. Coach Weakly said it best of his team: ``Hats off to our kids. They kept competing. . . . I'm really happy and proud of them.'' I am happy and proud of them, too. We are proud of the coach, his entire coaching staff, and the entire Central A&M community. Congrats on a great season. Marking One Year of Recovery for Taylorville, Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time I have risen on this House floor to congratulate the Rochester Rockets football team on a State championship that they just won, just this past week, at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois. Rochester played the Chicago St. Rita Mustangs for the title, winning it by a score of 42 to 28. The Rockets came out strong with three touchdowns early, giving them a 21 to nothing lead at the end of the first quarter. With four touchdown passes between quarterback Clay Bruno and receiver Hank Beatty, the Rockets proved that they meant business. The dynamic duo put on an offensive showcase with Bruno completing 18 of his 25 passes for 313 yards, and Beatty hauling in 12 catches for 212 yards. Rochester's offense was as dominant as ever, making it nearly impossible for St. Rita to create any sort of momentum. In addition to a powerhouse offense, the Rockets' defensive line showed up to work. Senior, Logan Peters, had 11 tackles, and sophomore, Johnny Neal, had 7. Neal was playing JV halfway through the season and got a 14-yard sack on the quarterback and a fumble recovery. This is the Rockets' eighth State championship in 10 years, and this is the first one that they achieved in the higher 5A classification. Leave it to Coach Derek Leonard and the entire Rochester Rockets team and the community to get bumped up, by maybe a student or two, into a higher class and just go ahead and win a State championship there, too. Congratulations to Coach Leonard. Congratulations to all of Coach Leonard's assistant coaches and to the entire Rockets community on another well-deserved State championship. Congratulating Coach Brent Weakly

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it has been 1 year since an EF-3 tornado ripped through my hometown of Taylorville, Illinois. More than 700 structures were damaged and 33 were destroyed that night, but not a single life was lost. I thank God for looking over Taylorville that night, and I am thankful for the critical decisions made by our former fire chief, Mike Crews, and our current mayor, Bruce Barry. Their actions likely saved countless lives. It is a night I will never forget, not only because of the destruction I saw when arriving back into my community minutes after the tornado ravaged it, but it is also the damage I saw the next day in daylight. I am also amazed by the generosity that we saw from so many people outside our community. Hundreds of volunteers came out to assist with the cleanup, and donations poured in from across the State and the Nation to help those in need. Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank Ed Legg and those others who make up Missions for Taylorville for coordinating getting these donations out to those families in need. We gathered this past weekend at the Taylorville VFW Post as a community to remember that night, to thank our first responders and volunteers for their work, and also to remind everybody that many families are still in need of help. Mr. Speaker, 1 year after this devastating tornado, I again thank all those who continue to help my hometown recover and to pray for the families still in need. We are all Taylorville Strong.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul and Representative Sablan for their leadership on H.R. 737, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, an important animal and wildlife protection bill. Their efforts earned the broad bipartisan support of nearly 290 Members of the House who cosponsored the bill which passed on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. Many sharks are killed through the horrific method of ``shark finning,'' a method of removing fins from sharks while they are still alive at sea and discarding the rest of the shark. This bill would expand the Shark Conservation Act, which was passed in 2010, prohibiting the commercial trade of shark fins and products containing shark fins, to also prohibit taking the fins of sharks at sea. Currently, shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, but more is needed to protect these rapidly declining shark populations. Shark fins sold in the U.S. come from all over the world, including locations which have no bans on finning. The United States is in the top 15 shark-fin-importing countries in terms of volume. It is highly likely that shark fins sold in the United States come from sharks that have been brutally finned from places that allow shark finning. Some populations have declined by up to 90 percent in recent decades leaving almost 25 percent of shark and ray species at risk of extinction. These global populations are currently threatened by this practice and instituting this ban will help to reduce the demand for shark fins and conserve these species while still allowing the sales of shark meat and products. My home state of Illinois has already enacted a law prohibiting the shark fin trade joining 12 states and 3 territories that already have laws banning the sale of shark fins, similar to this bill. I voted yes on this bill and applaud my colleagues who also voted in favor of H.R. 737, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize this week as National Apprenticeship Week. For over 80 years, the Registered Apprenticeship system has been the gold standard for workforce development policy in the United States. In 2017, President Trump signed an executive order expanding the apprenticeship program, and since then more than 500,000 people have entered the program. Apprenticeships that are registered with the Department of Labor provide participants on-the-job training and classroom education, equipping them with the skills needed to succeed in today's labor force. With continued job growth in today's economy, I want to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities. I introduced H.R. 1774, the LEAP Act, which incentivizes more employers to offer the DOL Registered Apprenticeship program through a new tax cut. DOL registered apprenticeships also come with incremental wage increases, improved skills, career advancement, enhanced retention, and increased productivity. I would like to thank all the businesses, employers, and the building trades who have utilized these registered apprenticeships and encourage more businesses in various fields to participate.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first ever college football game played between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Just twenty-one years later, the Big Ten university in my district, the University of Illinois, would field its first football game in 1890. Since those days, college football has become one of our nation's most beloved pastimes. Today, it's enjoyed by millions of Americans and the sport has grown immensely with nearly 80,000 student-athletes taking to the field every fall. In many ways, it is a game that embodies the spirit of what makes us great as a country. As Americans, we have a determination to succeed; we believe in teamwork; we embrace our individual roles as we work together toward a common goal bigger than ourselves. Over the last 150 years, we've seen college football players become U.S. Presidents, Rhodes Scholars, actors, activists, CEOs, successful entrepreneurs, academics, and yes--even elected officials. So today we recognize the strong history of college football in our nation: the games, the teams, the rivalries, and the memories. My family and I are longtime fans of college football, and I am proud to celebrate 150 years of its history today.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my good friend, another veteran who serves in this great institution with us. I am honored to be able to serve with him on the House Administration Committee.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, again, this is one of those rare opportunities where we get to talk about our heroes. The worst vote I think any of us would ever have to take is a vote to authorize to send young men and women off to war, off to battle, to protect the freedoms and the liberties that many of us in this country take for granted every single day. We expect freedom and liberty to exist in the United States of America, but it doesn't happen without the courage and the sacrifice of so many families throughout our Nation's history. I cannot imagine. I have never had the chance to take that vote in 6\1/2\ years, and I hope and pray every day that I don't personally ever have to take it. But many in this institution, who have been here and have served here, have had to make that vote. I could not imagine what our Gold Star families go through when they get that knock on the door. But to know that the legacy of their young sons and daughters is going to live on in a fellowship program here in the United States House of Representatives--because General Trent Kelly and his team and an idea from his constituents is now moving forward in the next step to become law--that is one thing that we can do here in the House of Representatives to honor those families who have sacrificed so much. We often imagine the future of what would have happened if these young men and women would have been able to come back home, families torn apart by tragedy at a time when their sacrifice gave us the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy being able to serve here. We have an opportunity today to say thank you again. This is our opportunity to show those families that their sons and daughters perishing during battle, or noncombat-related deaths, like Petty Officer Logan Palmer from Harristown, Illinois, in my district, let's say thank you to them. Let's let their memory go on. Let's let the next generation of people who, like Chairperson Lofgren and I, we started out as congressional staffers. Do you know what, I think both of us are here because of that experience. And to have this program, this Gold Star Fellowship Program, allow young men and women, who have been affected by so much, come into our institution, who knows, maybe they will be the next chairperson and ranking member of the House Administration Committee, and maybe their constituents, like General Kelly's constituents, will give them a great idea like this, and maybe they will be able to move it on the next step in becoming law. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairperson Lofgren again for allowing us the opportunity, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains. I am sure I talked longer than I thought.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), my colleague and wounded warrior, a hero. I am glad I get the opportunity to serve with heroes like the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairperson Lofgren for, again, working with me on this issue--it is such a very important piece of legislation--because I am proud to rise with her today in support of H. Res. 107, the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act. Since being elected to Congress in 2013, my team has worked over 1,000 cases on behalf of veteran constituents in central-southwestern Illinois, including when the USS John McCain collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Singapore in 2017, killing 10 sailors, including Petty Officer Logan Palmer from my district. My office was able to help this Gold Star family navigate the confusing Department of Defense policies relating to next-of-kin travel for noncombat-related deaths and other important procedures that follow a tragedy like this. Over the years since that tragedy, I have become friends with Petty Officer Palmer's parents, Theresa and Sid, and deeply value our friendship, which is one of the reasons why I am so honored to be on the floor advocating for the passage of this bill. I have also worked to change the next-of-kin family travel policies at the DOD and am currently working in a bipartisan way with Members across the aisle to codify those changes that are already in existence. Let's codify them into law so they don't change again when administrations change. I will continue to use my office to assist those who have given so much. That is why I believe in this program that will allow Gold Star spouses, children, and siblings the opportunity to work for a congressional office in D.C. or a district office. We already have a model for success in Congress to shape this program after. It is the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program that lies within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and has provided many opportunities over the years for veterans to serve in the House of Representatives. Currently, there is a Wounded Warrior fellow who works in my Maryville, Illinois, office, Peter Arsenault. He is doing a great job. Peter helps veterans in my district every day and understands the assistance and the help that they need to navigate the bureaucracy within the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I do want to give a special thank-you and a shout-out to our colleague and my very good close friend, Trent Kelly, the gentleman from Mississippi, for his work on taking this fellowship program from an idea into a reality. Trent did everything to make sure that this became law, that this bill passed the House and made it on its way to become law. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the Gold Star families for their participation in making this process a reality, too, and for those family members who could be here in the gallery to see this important program come to fruition. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my good friend.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly), and I can't tell you how proud I am to yield to the sponsor of this legislation, somebody who deserves a lot of thanks for moving this bill forward.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to take this opportunity to offer one of our great colleagues from the great State of Nebraska the opportunity to speak in favor--like Trent Kelly from Mississippi--one of the former generals, or current generals, who serves in our Nation's military, but whom we also have the great privilege of serving with here in this institution, General Don Bacon. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I was with Land of Lincoln Honor Flight at Arlington. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 587, and NAY on Roll Call No. 588.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask Ms. Porter this: Your legislation doesn't tell candidates they have to spend money on this, right?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire how much time we have remaining on debate?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I love debate like this. It is an opportunity for us, again, to show how we can work together, both sides of the aisle, and put good policies forward that are going to affect the ability for people to serve in this institution. Hearing the talk about kids when running for Congress, it actually takes me back. Many folks may see me walking around the Capitol tunnels with earbuds in, in the early mornings about 5:30 our time, 4:30 back home, because my wife is a nurse. They work on a different schedule. That is my time that I get to talk to her. She was a nurse and left for work very early in the morning when our kids were growing up. And my job as a congressional staffer, I had a great boss who made sure that he told me every day to put my kids first. I cannot thank our colleague John Shimkus, who I worked for, for 16 years, enough for telling me to put my family first. It is a guy like that who not only makes me a better Member of Congress being around him, but he helped me learn how to be a better dad. Until I got elected, my job each day was to get my kids ready, sometimes a little more labor intensive when they were a little bit younger than they were when they were older. Although it was kind of easier when I was holding twin boys in seats rather than chasing them, but dropping them off at childcare, before we dropped them off at school. During the summer, if we didn't have childcare opportunities, if I didn't have the opportunity to take them and drop them off, neither my wife nor I could have gotten to the jobs that we enjoyed pursuing so much. In today's day and age, with so many two-parent working families, this is only a commonsense provision that is going to be a choice, a choice for candidates to use if they choose. That is something that we ought to all come together and make happen. Look, there are great people on both sides of the aisle in this institution. I want more of them. I want more people who want to be able to do what we do. This is going to be an opportunity to show them, too, that this institution isn't nearly as dysfunctional as the news media says it is. Most of what we do here is actually done on a pretty bipartisan basis, but it doesn't make the news. Hopefully, today, maybe one of the folks covering us is going to talk about what we did together, maybe. I am going to cross my fingers. Maybe they will understand that this is what we need to highlight instead of the nonsense that happens when the two parties and the extremes scream at each other. A good bill, again, from Congresswoman Porter, and it is great to work with her, and a great bill from Chairperson Lofgren. I appreciate the opportunity to serve with each and every one of my colleagues. I will ask, again, for every Member to support this today loudly on the floor, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. What an impassioned speech by our colleague. This isn't just a problem for one gender running for Congress. It is a problem for all families. It is a problem that I faced when my kids were younger when I first ran for office a little over 6\1/2\ years ago. It is what to do with young children who can't go anywhere on their own at that time. With twin boys aged 12, I don't necessarily know that I trusted them going somewhere on their own. I don't know if I trusted them at home alone, at the same time. It is, what do you do to make sure your family gets the supervision and the supervisory opportunities that you need? This is an opportunity for us to show anybody who wants to follow in what our forefathers of this great Nation put forth in our Constitution creating the House of Representatives to be able to be a House for the people and by the people to represent this great United States. This is going to be an opportunity for anyone, no matter what their path is in life, if they have children at home, if they are a single mom, if they are a single dad, if they are a family with kids, if they are wondering how they take on this challenge, how they get a chance to serve this great country, how they get a chance to join us, this is going to be their opportunity to say: I am going to go out and spend a lot of time raising money because many of these campaigns--I can tell you how much mine cost. It cost millions upon millions of dollars and a lot of time. When you are gone, you are raising more money to run because campaigns are too expensive. We understand that. We get that. We agree on that. This is a chance to say: I am going to get out there and get on the dance floor and take that chance. Too many people who may want to run for office won't do it because they are afraid to lose. I think everyone has to have the chance to take away any excuse to be able to step out and put their name on the ballot to have a chance to do what we do. If I, the son of a high school dropout and a guy who graduated high school who walked into a fast-food restaurant in 1959 and had a dream to own his own one day, if I, who had no family ever in politics or government, can come and stand on this floor and work with colleagues like Chairperson Lofgren and Congresswoman Porter to help put good legislation like this through, anybody in this great country can do it. It is a great opportunity to show the next generation that we care enough about them to be able to show them how to do exactly what we do. Let's all come together. Let's make this happen today. It is a great opportunity for us to stand here on the floor and show the American people the Republicans and Democrats do agree on issues, and we do work together. I mean, maybe the news will cover it, maybe they won't. We might be able to debate Nickelback or something and get them to cover it today. But do you know what? We know what happens here. We know we have opportunities. We know that we are able to put good policies like this together. We know that friendships do exist on both sides of the aisle in this institution. This is a great bill. This is an opportunity. I thank all of my colleagues who are supporting this. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I, too, rise in support of H.R. 1623, the Help America Run Act, a bill drafted by my colleague across the aisle, newly-elected Congresswoman from the great State of California, Ms. Katie Porter. I want to commend Ms. Porter for this important legislation that I believe will allow, as Chairperson Lofgren said, more people of all socioeconomic strata, to be able to run for office. Strong candidates should not be limited by their circumstances to the point that it prevents them from representing their communities in Congress. Representatives of this body should and do come from all backgrounds to allow for equal representation of all who make up this institution and this great Nation. I believe this bill will make that happen by allowing the candidate who is not currently a Member of Congress to pay for specific necessary services like childcare and dependent care, that will enable a congressional candidate to participate in all campaign-connected activities. This is a decision between the candidates and the donors that give to their campaign. All we are asking to do with this piece of legislation is to allow candidates to publicly disclose childcare expenses on their FEC reports. Everyone is going to know what they paid. Everyone is going to know what it went for, and that is an issue they can discuss with the people who are funding their campaigns. What this bill does not do--let me repeat, Mr. Speaker. What this bill does not do is put more money in the pockets of current Members of Congress. Instead, it allows for an equal opportunity for new representation, providing more Americans who aspire to represent their communities in Congress the chance to do just that. This is not a radical idea. We should absolutely want to give everyone an equal opportunity to run, to be able to serve, if elected, in this great institution; including single parents who want to run for Federal office but cannot afford the necessary childcare for the grueling campaign schedules that everyone in this institution knows exists. Again, I want to thank Congresswoman Porter for her hard work on this legislation. I look forward to seeing it implemented, and I reserve the balance of my time.